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t h e s tat e o f t h e w o r l d ’ s g i r l s
Girls learning life skills through sport.
ali S H a f ernande z miranda / S T A N D A R D C H A R T E R E D B A N K
is not just limited to washing clothes, washing utensils, or cooking. And now we think that when we do everything we have done, this is the time we have for ourselves, and we don’t want to compromise on that.” Goal is a partnership that involves both international and grassroots organisations – each of which utilises its core skills to undertake aspects of the programme. Naz Foundation India Trust, the Bank’s partner in India, co-ordinates and delivers the programme. Naz works on the ground with local NGOs already working in the community to identify girls for the programme and to complement – not replace – their existing services. Local partners are not necessarily focused on girls’ empowerment or sport, but have access to large numbers of vulnerable youth (particularly girls) as well as existing trust from the community. By affiliating with these partners, parents trust us to deliver programmes to their girls and allow them to participate. The Bank also partners with the International Federation of Netball Associations, which provides support and guidance with the netball-related aspects of the programme. Goal has worked with nearly 500 young women directly since its inception, with plans to expand globally to an additional three countries by 2012. Indirectly, the Goal programme is estimated to have reached more than 25,000 people in local families and communities, mainly through public exhibitions. At the heart of Goal is the desire to change girls’ opinions of themselves and their role in the world. By increasing girls’ self-confidence and self-esteem and by improving their basic knowledge, Goal is making the world of difference to the lives of girls. “Before I was a part of this, I always used to be very shy, even talking to the people with whom I live every day, like my father, my mother, my brother. I was so uncomfortable even talking to them, I used to shy away. But now it’s not like that. I am like a confident girl… Now when we meet, we get to speak.”
Strategy and society “The role of business in society is a legitimate aspect of business leadership. It is not in conflict with growth or profitability, but an integral part of successful management practice and sustainable business building.” Niall FitzGerald, former Chairman and CEO of Unilever and Chairman of Reuters Now more than ever, business operates in a global environment – where global issues, global problems and global constituencies heighten both business risks and opportunities. The social context in which businesses operate is complex, challenging and ever-changing. Business leaders today are expected to be informed and opinionated on the social context in which they work. Poverty, of the deep-rooted, structural kind that is found in many developing countries, fuels civil conflict, wars over resources, humanitarian crises and the failure of government and social institutions.495 Business has a vested interest in addressing poverty. Even the largest companies that spend significant amounts on security and community investment are not immune from the social and political destabilisation that is inevitable in such circumstances. Research shows that economic growth can be facilitated by the strengthening of civil
and political rights for women.496 Indeed, a strong and equitable society is universally acknowledged as ‘good for businesses’. A recent international poll by Gallup (Voice of the People) based on 50,000 interviews across 68 countries, indicated that people identify global poverty as the key problem facing the world.497 In addition, global public opinion consistently highlights, “high expectations of companies to contribute to poverty alleviation and to help meet the needs of host communities in developing countries”.498 Businesses cannot afford to risk their reputations or to isolate themselves from the environment in which they are operating. Furthermore, company employees, customers, suppliers and the wider community recognise the growing influence they can have on corporate behaviour through global communications, networks and both collective and personal actions, and are increasingly adept at galvanizing social movements around their heightened, and changing, expectations.499 For consumers, the social and environmental impact of corporate behaviour, illustrated by the growth in causerelated spending, is increasingly important.500 It has been estimated that cause-related marketing skyrocketed from $125 million in 1990 to $1.08 billion in 2005,501 – a figure which continues to climb with the success of such notable endeavours as the Product(Red) campaign, in support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
“The world in which our business operates is changing rapidly. We live in a world of finite resources faced with global challenges… as a business we recognise that we must ensure that our impact on the world around us is positive.” Standard Chartered Bank, Building a Sustainable Business, 2008 This concept of sustainable business, combined with a need to recover public trust, has been inspiring companies to invest in CSR efforts. Even before the current economic crisis, corporations remained deeply distrusted by the public. Edelman’s annual ‘Trust Barometer’ indicates that fewer than one in three individuals trust corporations. Similarly, GlobeScan – which undertakes
research into global public opinion – consistently reports low levels of public trust in corporations – much lower than for NGOs or the United Nations.502 Moreover, not only has trust in the private corporation eroded, but the gap between social expectations of business and social assessments of corporate performance has widened. Surveys conducted across 23 countries during the summer of 2008 revealed that, for the first time, a majority hold the view that globalisation “concentrates wealth rather than providing opportunities for all”.503 The business community is acutely conscious of this situation. A recent International Business Leaders Forum report notes: “To the extent that this lack of public confidence in global and national institutions leads to greater protectionism and tighter restrictions on the mobility of capital and labour, the international business community will be the first to feel its effects.” Typically, advocates for CSR use the arguments of sustainability, enhanced reputation and moral obligation.504 However, business can also reinforce its strategic objectives through social progress on the major cross-cutting issues of the day. Girls and their potential to advance the current state of their countries’ economies is the major cross-cutting issue of our time and the single most powerful social issue affecting the competitive context for business. As the engagement of businesses in emerging markets and developing countries continues to grow, investing in girls and young women through core business practices will be increasingly important. Successful businesses need healthy societies to support them, and making social impact part of your business strategy makes sense. Leaders from all sectors will be expected to work together on responses to global poverty wherever it is found.505 It will not be enough to comply with minimum employer standards; they will be expected to take policy positions, support social change and be the leaders in workforce practice.
“Company leaders are not only leaders of business but leaders within society. We are a part of society not apart from it.” Niall FitzGerald, former Chairman and CEO of Unilever and Chairman of Reuters 143